In 1918 railroads were how people and freight traveled across the country. That year Dwight Eisenhower was a junior officer in an operation designed to see if it was possible to get a motorized convoy across the country.
There was very little paved road. There were very few maps for the primitive roads that did exist. It was a long and arduous trip. This trip was the genesis of the Interstate Highway System built during his presidency.
Yep. And did you know that every 5 miles on the interstate highway system there has to be at least on stretch of road that is straight for 1 mile. This was so aircraft could use the highway as an emergency landing strip.
I understand Ike was also quite interested in the Autobahn.
Much as I love the Superslab — an uninterrupted line of white lines all the way to the coast — I’m a little torn about it. The Interstate is great for commerce and for the traveling public. In fact, out West, most destinations are measured by hours, not miles. When I lived in Utah, Las Vegas was 8 hours away, Denver was 10, Albuquerque was 13, and so on.
But our entire society has become hooked, not just enamored, on the car. Public transportation has withered and possibly killed by our addiction to driving. On most mornings, I’m stuck in traffic jams where EVERY SINGLE CAR has but a single occupant, whereas a single train could eliminate hundreds or even thousands of those shiny metal boxes.
Still, I can’t disparage the Interstate. Heck of a way to drive long distances!